


If you like it then be sure to put a ring on it

by bloodred_ander



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Cute Cristiano Is Cute, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Girl!Leo, M/M, cause i just couldn't help myself, proposal fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-11
Updated: 2015-05-11
Packaged: 2018-03-25 17:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3819577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodred_ander/pseuds/bloodred_ander
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The four times Cris - not really - kind of asks Leo to marry him and the one time he 'officially' does so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If you like it then be sure to put a ring on it

**Author's Note:**

> Leo is a girl in this fic!! And just 'cause Lionel isn't a very feminine name let's pretend that girl!Leo's name is actually Leona.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy reading this 'cause I had a lot of fun writing it :)

1.

The first time Cris thinks of - not really - proposing his girlfriend Leona is when they're sitting on Cris' ratty old couch watching The Proposal together. Cris knows that Leo loves this movie; she's watched it so many times that she knows all the dialogues by heart (so does Cris but it's not because he secretly loves Ryan Reynolds absolutely not).

So as Ryan Reynolds is asking Sandra Bullock to marry him - in the most unimaginative and unromantic way possible because seriously which idiot _demands_ his girlfriend to marry him - Cris gets a sudden burst of courage and decides to ask his girlfriend of three years to marry him. He's just testing the waters.

"Hey, Leona," Cris looks at her but she's busy going 'awwww' at the television. He decides to try again.

"Leoooo," He pokes her sides until she turns and glares at him.

"Cris," Leo whines. "I'm watching something." She points out. Cris rolls his eyes.

"You've seen this movie a million times," Cris complains. "How are you not sick of it?"

"I've been with you for three years and I'm not sick of you even though I should be," Leo retorts. She turns back to the movie but it's almost over anyways so she huffs and looks back at Cris. He's looking at her with such a heartbroken expression that she can't help but laugh.

"Relax babe, I was joking," She leans forward and places a gentle kiss on his lips. He still looks sad so she decides to change the topic before he starts getting dramatic. 

"Why did you disturb me anyways?" She asks. "Was there something you wanted to say?"

Cris suddenly feels hopeful again even though he's still a bit hurt by Leo's comment. He tries his most winning smile.

"Hypothetically speaking, if I were to ask you to marry me, Ryan Reynolds style, would you say yes?" Cris waits anxiously for Leo's response. She frowns and stares at him for an eternity before answering. 

"Hypothetically speaking, I'd say no," Cris' smile falters. 

"Why?" He asks. Leo shrugs. 

"As cute as it may be on screen, it's not what I'd want in real life," She says. "Can't look away from tradition I'm afraid so I'd expect you to go down on one knee and stuff and then ask me. Like a proper gentleman." She smiles and starts to get up but Cris isn't done yet. 

"So, if I were to get down on one knee and propose to you now, would you say yes?" He tries that winning smile of his again but it doesn't seem to work. Leo looks around the messy hall room of their shared apartment and scoffs. She stands up and stares him down. 

"You'd have to put in a little more effort, Cristiano," She says and her chocolate brown eyes look so fierce that Cris just chuckles nervously. He _definitely_  needs to put in more effort the next time.

 

 

2.

 It's a beautiful summer evening and they're holding hands and just aimlessly walking around the city. Leo's animatedly talking about some new store that she wants to go to and Cris is pretending to listen when they pass a jewelry store. This is the second time Cris decides to try his luck.

"So babe, I was just thinking," He says to Leo who doesn't look happy at being interrupted. "What kind of an engagement ring would you like?"

She looks up at him and furrows her brows. She opens her mouth to say something but then just shakes her head and looks away from Cris. Cris nudges her slightly, encouraging her to answer his question. Leo sighs. 

"It doesn't work like that," She says. "You're supposed to pick out a ring that you think I'd like, not ask me what I want."

"...but what if I pick out a ring for you and you don't like it?" It seems like a reasonable question considering the fact that there's no other woman on this planet earth who's as picky as his girlfriend.

"I can assure you that I'd like it," She smiles at him.

"Really?" Cris asks. She nods.

"I know people think that a woman will only say 'yes' to a guy if the ring he buys her is really flashy and expensive but I can assure you that's not the case," She says. "The reason women get all teary and speechless when they see the ring is because of the _significance_ it holds not because of the price tag or the fact that it's a huge ass diamond ring. Although we will appreciate all that later on."

Leona giggles and Cris finds himself smiling at her. At least he was happy he wouldn't go completely broke attempting to buy Leo the perfect ring.

"So.... if I were to propose to you with an imitation ring, would you say yes?" Cris recoils at how quickly Leo's expression changes. She has this look of utter disbelief plastered onto her beautiful features and she opens her mouth to say something - not very nice, he assumes - but Cris beats her to it. He laughs a little too forcefully and pulls her into a hug.

"I was only joking," Well he was partly joking. Leona smacks him on his chest as she smiles; looking somewhat relieved. 

 _So much for not going broke_  Cris thinks as they walk home together, fingers intertwined.

 

 

3.

The third time Cris kinda asks Leo to marry him is when they're visiting his mother for the weekend. 

They're sitting out in the backyard of Cris' childhood home, listening to the singing cicadas in the gentle heat of a typical afternoon in Madeira when Cris suddenly starts feeling nostalgic. He thinks of all the emotional significance this place holds for him. He looks to his right and smiles at Leo; whose cheeks have turned red from sitting out in the sun too long. She smiles back at him.

"Do you like this place?" Cris asks her. She nods.

"I love it," She says and Cris can’t explain the sudden happiness he feels coursing through him. He kisses her forehead as she leans her head on his shoulder.

"So do you want to get married? Here?" He asks suddenly and Leo chuckles. 

"What, in your backyard?" She asks.

It's not a very large backyard but Cris thinks that it'll do just fine for a nice wedding if Leo doesn't invite every single living creature they know. 

"Yeah," Cris replies. "Or we could have a beach wedding. That would be nice, wouldn't it?" 

"Yeah but I've always kinda thought we'd get married in a church," Leo says.

"Yeah my mum wants that for us too," Cris chuckles but then he stops. He beams at what Leo just said.

"So....you've already thought about marrying me?" Cris asks hopefully. Leo rolls her eyes but she chuckles, her cheeks turning a shade darker.

"It's only because you've been asking me weird questions lately," She says.

"Not weird," Cris defends. "Just reasonable. I need things to be perfect for you, right?"

Leona laughs and pulls Cris in for a kiss.

"You can really surprise me sometimes," She says once she pulls away. Cris smiles.

He keeps staring into those beautiful eyes of hers and then when he can't take it anymore, he pulls her into a tight hug; messing up her hair and placing kisses all over her face.

"Cris, stop it!" Leo says through giggles and pushes Cris away. She glares at him playfully as she fixes her hair. He can't help it when the words spill out of his mouth.

"I can't believe you're going to marry me!" Cris exclaims excitedly. Leo frowns at him. At that moment Cris hears his mother call out to Leo from inside.

"I'm not going to marry you," Leo says as she stands up. Cris tries hard not to cry. He hopes Leo's joking. She starts to walk away from him but then stops suddenly and turns around. She smiles at him and Cris already feels better. 

"Only because you haven't officially asked me yet," She says and then runs inside to see what his mother wants.

Cris laughs and decides that he wouldn't wait any longer to _officially_ ask Leo to marry him. 

 

 

4.

Cris nervously goes through the selection of rings that the salesman's placed in front of him. It's harder than he'd expected and also really tiring because he's been in the damn jewelry store for the past hour and he still can't decide on the perfect ring for Leona.

He picks up a ring with a large stone on the top. A little larger than necessary. It looks a bit too showy and Cris doesn't really like it but he thinks maybe Leo'll appreciate the size of the stone.

"A marvelous choice sir," The salesman says. "I'm sure she'd love it. Do you want me to pack it for you?"

Cris grinds his teeth and places the ring back down. He wasn't sure Leo would really like this. She was really simple and so were her tastes. Cris was sure Leo wouldn't be comfortable with this.

"Don't you have something else?" Cris asks.

"I'm sorry sir," The salesman says although he looks anything but sorry. "I've shown you everything we have."

"It's okay," Cris sighs. Maybe he'd just have to try another store. Cris walks out the store and onto the street. He glances at the display window as he walks by it. He's barely a few feet away from the store when he stops suddenly. 

He runs back to the store and peers through the glass at the pieces of jewelry on display. Cris almost wants to cry when he sees it; a thin silver band with a perfect sized diamond sitting atop it. Simple yet beautiful, just like his Leo.

He rushes back into the shop and the salesman doesn't look too happy to see him.

"I want this," Cris demands and shows the salesman the ring. The salesman looks him over.

"A fine choice but sir....I don't...think.." He looks him over again and Cris doesn't miss the look he gives him.

"What?" Cris asks defiantly. "You don't think I'd be able to afford it?" He cocks his eyebrows and crosses his arms over his chest.

The salesman says nothing but smiles sweetly and proceeds to pack up the ring for Cris.

 

 

Cris is dressed in his suit, standing out on the balcony as he waits for Leo to get ready. Cris can hear her singing in the shower and he smiles at how terribly she's singing Coldplay's Paradise.

Cris pulls out the small box from his pocket and opens it. He closes it and puts it back in his pocket and then pulls it out again. He sighs and decides that maybe he should practice. He clears his throat. 

"Leo," He says as gently and as lovingly as he can manage. "Will you marry me?"

Then he cringes at how horrible and shaky his own voice sounds. He can still hear Leo singing in the shower. He decides to try again. 

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you Leo," He pauses for effect. "So will you marry me?"

He still isn't satisfied so he keeps trying until he gets tired and then gives up. He decides that Leo'll just have to forgive him if what he says isn't entirely romantic. That's assuming she'd say yes which hopefully, she would. He sighs and pulls the ring out of the box, just because he needs something to distract him from his thoughts. He holds it between his fingers and examines it.

"Is this even a real diamond?" He asks himself, thinking that the stupid salesman may have crooked him. He's turning it around in his hand when the bathroom door clicks open and Leo peeps out.

"Cris, could you pass me a towel?" She asks and startles Cris.

And it just so happens that the ring Cris is holding slips from his fingers and falls four stories into the unkempt backyard of their apartment building. Instinctively, he lunges after it and nearly falls over. It takes a while for Cris to steady himself and calm himself down.

He turns around quickly and walks over to Leo, handing her the towel. He knows she probably couldn't see anything considering the fact that he had his back towards her.

"Is everything okay?" She asks him and Cris almost cries.

"Yeah," He says. "All good. Great. Superb." He gives Leo a thumbs up and a smile he hopes is convincing. She smiles back at him.

"I'll be a little while longer," She tells him and closes the door. Cris runs back to the balcony and peers over it which is stupid because it's too dark to see anything. 

"Shit!" He curses and pulls at his hair. He shoves the empty box back into his pocket, rushes out the door and then runs down the stairs three steps at a time - almost falling in the process - as he makes his way down and to that horrible excuse of a backyard the ring had fallen into. It would be just his luck if the ring was lost.

 

 

 Cris walks back into the apartment with his entire suit covered in mud and grass. Leo's sitting on the couch all dressed up and beautiful, waiting for him. She gasps when she sees him.

"Cris, what happened?" She asks as she stands up and walks towards him. 

Cris is so crestfallen that he can't even think of anything to say. He just shuts the door behind him, walks over to the couch and throws himself down on it. Leo sits beside him.

"Cris? Please tell me what's wrong?" She pleads gently and places a hand on his shoulder. The amount of effort it takes for Cris to hold back his tears is ridiculous. 

"I lost my wallet," Cris knows it's a lame excuse but he doesn't want to tell Leo the truth. He doesn't want to see her sad.

"What?" She asks and Cris can sense that she isn't buying it.

"Well, I told you I was going to the bank in the morning, remember?" He asks and Leo nods because this was the lie Cris had told her so he could go out and buy the stupid ring. Which was now lost, he reminded himself bitterly. 

"Yeah, you said your mother needed some money," She adds and Cris nods. He hates how he's lying to Leona. 

"After I came home it took me a while to realize that my wallet was missing," He says. "So I ran back to the bank hoping it would be there but...." Cris trails off.

"...you didn't find it." Leo finishes for him. Cris sighs and rubs a hand over his face. He looks at Leo and expects her to be mad but she has a fond smile gracing her features. 

"....and some stupid driver went over a puddle and splashed you with dirty water." She points to his filthy clothes. Cris just nods, happy that Leo's making up a story for him.

Leo laughs and kisses him. It's soft and gentle and so sweet that Cris can’t help but feel even more terrible. Once they pull apart Cris rubs at his eyes to stop the tears from flowing. He was a grown man, god damn it! He wouldn't cry.

"I'm sorry. I really wanted to take you out today," Cris whines. Leo laughs and places a kiss on his cheek.

"It's okay," She assures him. "We can have pizza for dinner." She smiles and pulls out her phone.

Cris sighs and keeps cursing himself and his bad luck as he hears Leo ordering his favorite pizza. He doesn't think he deserves her.

"It'll be here in about twenty minutes," She informs him. Cris sighs for the umpteenth time that evening. 

"I'm sorry," He says again and he looks at Leo as she laughs.

"Honestly Cris, it's fine," She says. Then she stands up and tries pulling Cris up as well.

"Let's get you cleaned up," She tells him and Cris just lets himself be dragged off the couch, through the bedroom and into the shower.

 

 

A nice clean shower and half-an-hour later, Cris is sitting on the couch with Leo and stuffing his face with pizza. Leo's watching Pretty Little Liars and Cris' just sitting there wishing he could die. Obviously he was still pissed about how unlucky he was.

He pulls the box of pizza towards him and when he notices there's only one slice left he decides to leave it for Leo but then he sees the packet of ketchup and he comes up with an idea. He bites a tiny hole in the packet and pulls the pizza box towards him. He glances at Leo to make sure she's not looking. He smiles when he sees that she's completely oblivious to anything going on around her and that her attention is fixed on the television.

This is the fourth time Cris very lamely tries to propose Leo. He takes the pack of ketchup and squeezes out a _marry me?_ on the pizza box. Then he places the box - with the single slice of pizza in it - carefully on Leo's lap. She frowns and looks at him and then at the almost empty cardboard box placed on her lap. Leo laughs and moves closer so she's leaning against Cris. She takes the pizza slice, dips it in the saucy proposal and takes a bite. 

Cris decides to take that as a yes. He smiles and places an arm around Leo's shoulder, thinking that this was as close to an actual proposal he could get. Considering the fact that he was now almost broke and he'd have work another five-ten years or so to be able to buy Leo a proper ring.

 

 

 

5.

The next day when Cris can’t find the ring even though he's spent almost the entire day looking for it, he calls his mother and tells her what happened. 

"Oh Cristiano," His mother sighs on the other end of the line. He waits for her to say something else but she doesn't. 

"Can you come over?" He asks his mother. "I'll feel better if you're here." His mother sighs again and Cris smiles. No doubt where he got that habit from.

"I might come over in a day or two," She tells him and Cris whines over the phone.

"No mama, I need you to be here today," He says.

"You're not a small boy anymore Cristiano," She chides.

"But I want you to come over today," Cris says. "Why can't you come today?"

"It's too late to travel now," She says and Cris scoffs.

"It's only four mama," He points out. "It will barely take you an hour to reach here."

"Will you die if I don't come today?" His mother asks and Cris wants to laugh at how annoyed she sounds. 

"Yes I will," He says. His mother sighs again and mumbles something he can't quite make out.

"You are so stubborn," She says and Cris smiles.

"So are you coming?" He asks, just to annoy her a little. 

"Yes!" She exclaims. Cris laughs and hangs up but not before telling his mother he loves her. He's already feeling a little better just talking to her.

Cris decides to set up the guest bedroom since he has nothing to do anyways. Leo had gone out shopping with some of her friends and wouldn't be back anytime soon.

 

 

After a major effort, Cris' finally managed to set up the guest bedroom for his mother and he's also managed to clean the entire house. He's currently debating on what to cook for dinner when Leo comes home. He rushes out of the kitchen to greet her.

"Hey," Cris says and takes her bags from her, he walks into their bedroom to keep the bags there and when he walks back out Leo's smiling and looking around the living room. 

"Looks like you've been busy," She says as she takes off her heels and sits down on the couch. Cris laughs.

"My mum's coming over," Cris tells her. She looks at him, surprised.

"Really? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She asks and jumps up from the couch. "When will she be here? I have to cook dinner. What should I cook? Why don't you tell me things earlier Cris?" Cris watches amused as Leo paces around the living room.

He tries calming her down but she's already rushing into the kitchen and pulling out pots and pans. Cris chuckles at her.

"Don't just stand there," She tells him. "Come here and help."

Cris' happy it doesn't take them that long to prepare dinner and he's also happy that his mother reached a few minutes earlier than expected. 

Once they're all sitting together and eating dinner and Cris is watching his mother and Leo chatting away, he realizes that having his mother here will actually be good for him. At least he wouldn't think about how he had clumsily lost the ring. 

Well, he wouldn't think of it _that_ much anyways.

 

 

 "Do you have to go?" Cris asks solemnly as he holds the door open for his mother. She gets into the cab and closes the door even though Cris tries keeping it open.

"Yes," She says and glares at Cris as he starts whining.

"Can't you stay another day?" Cris is aware of the weird looks the cab driver's giving him but he couldn't care less. 

"Cristiano, I've stayed with you for a week," She says. Cris opens his mouth but before he can say anything his mother holds up a finger and shushes him.

"If you utter another word I swear I won't help you," She grumbles and digs around her purse until she pulls out a small black velvet box. Cris raises his eyebrows when he sees it. The box looks really old and tattered but when his mother opens it, Cris is surprised to see the ring that's inside.

"Here," She says as she hands it to him. "It belonged to your grandmother."

Cris raises his eyebrows. He almost says _how has the ring survived so long?_ but doesn't because that wouldn't be nice. He takes the ring. 

"I know it isn't much," She tells him, "but it's better than nothing. I'm sorry you lost the ring you bought and maybe in the future you can get Leona a better one but for now you can give her this, it's a family heirloom so hopefully that'll mean something." 

Cris smiles. He looks closely at the ring; it's old but it's still beautiful, even more than the one he bought. He thinks he likes this ring because of the emotional value it has.

He's about to thank his mother but she glares at him.

"Don't say anything," She tells him. "I didn't do this for you, I did it for Leona." Cris chuckles at that.

"She's a special girl, she deserves the best and I hope you'll promise to give her that." His mother smiles at him and Cris nods, trying not to get too emotional. 

"I wish Leona was here to say goodbye," His mother says. "Too bad she's so busy with work."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come to the airport with you?" Cris asks. His mother smiles. 

"No," She says and before Cris can start whining again she tells the driver to start the car. They don't draw out their goodbye any longer and his mother tells him she'll call once she reaches home. Cris doesn't say bye but as the car pulls out of the driveway, he tells his mother he loves her. Cris stands and watches the car until it disappears from sight completely.

 He looks at the ring in his hands and thanks god for giving him the best mother in the entire universe. Then as he makes his way back upstairs to his apartment he thinks of something else as well and he finally decides it's now or never.

 

 

 Leo walks into the apartment and stops short as she looks around the living room. The place looks absolutely stunning. Honestly, it really does, considering the fact that all the ratty furniture's no where to be seen. And neither is Cris. She smiles as she steps into the room, her breath hitching. 

The entire floor is covered with rose petals and the lit scented candles add a soft hue to the room. Leo wonders if she's forgotten their anniversary but she doesn't think that's the case.

"Cris?" She calls out as she walks further into the room, trying her best not to knock down any of the candles. She giggles, the excitement of this sudden surprise making her giddy. She takes a few more careful steps, avoiding candles and rose petals as she calls out, "Cris? Where are you?"

"Right here," Comes a voice from behind her and she starts. Leo turns around to see Cris standing a few feet away from her, dressed in a tuxedo. She raises her eyebrows. 

"Wow, have I forgotten somet-- " She trails off as Cris smiles at her and goes down on one knee. Her breath hitches and her mouth falls open as she looks at Cris. She isn't sure if this is really happening or if it's all a dream. Or maybe it's Cris' idea of a sick joke. She really hopes not.

"Leo," Cris says and her heartbeat quickens.  

"We've been together for three years and I still don't understand what you see in me," He laughs nervously, "You could choose to be with anyone you want but I'm so glad that you chose me. I'll admit I'm not a very special person and I don't have much to offer you but you should know that I love you immensely. I'd do anything for you, I'd do anything to keep you happy."

Cris takes another shaky breath and smiles. Leo's eyes well up and she covers her mouth with her hand to stop herself from sobbing. And also possibly embarrassing herself. 

"You, Leona," Cris continues," are the most beautiful, kind and loving person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and you are also the best thing that's ever happened to me. My life is a thousand times better with you in it. And....." Cris clears his throat and pulls out a small black box from his pocket. He opens it and Leo can't help the gasp that escapes her lips.

"....I know we have our differences and I know things aren't always perfect between us but you should know that I love you....and apart from you there isn't anyone else I'd want to be with."

Leo chokes back a sob as she braces herself for the big question. Cris looks all sorts of nervous and Leo knows he has no need to be nervous. Maybe she always didn't show it but Cris was the only person she would want to spend the rest of her life with. The only person who she would ever truly love.

"....and I know forever sounds like a real long time, especially if you're going to spend it with me but..." Leo chuckles and Cris feels his nervousness ebb away, ".....will you be mine forever?" He asks finally and waits for Leo to answer. For a terrifying few seconds, Leo doesn't answer and Cris is sure he'll die if Leo says no but then he realizes something. He hasn't _officially_ asked her to marry him yet. He shakes his head and laughs, hoping that's the case.

"Leona," He says and holds her gaze, "will you marry me?"

And this time he knows he's finally done it right as he sees the tears roll down Leo's cheeks. She nods her head and says, "Yes. Of course I will!"

Cris can't explain how happy he is as he reaches for Leo's left hand and slips the ring onto her finger. It's a bit big but Cris decides they can worry about that later. Then finally he stands up and pulls her into his arms as she sobs away.

"The ring is an imitation, y'know. I bought it online," Cris jokes and Leo smacks him on his chest lightly. 

"It doesn't matter," She says and wipes away a few of her tears, "It's beautiful."

Cris laughs and pulls her in for a kiss and for some inexplicable reason, it feels different this time. In a good way, of course. 

"So...." Leo starts once they pull apart, "where's all the furniture?" She asks as she looks around the empty living room. Cris scratches his head. 

"About that," he says with a sheepish smile, "would it be okay if we slept in here tonight? Both the rooms are in a mess."

Leo giggles and rolls her eyes but she says nothing. Instead, she pulls Cris in for a kiss again. Cris smiles into the kiss and feels like a huge weight has finally been lifted of his shoulders. 

Finally, after all his failed attempts and misfortunes, he had done it. He had asked Leo to marry him and thank God - or whatever divine entity was up there - she had said yes.

 

*

 

It's a beautiful morning and Cris is standing out on the balcony, still on a high from last nights events. He smiles as he calls his mother, dying to give her the good news.

He's waiting for the call to connect when he just happens to glance down into the backyard. Someone - maybe another person who lives in the building - was busy mowing the lawn.

And then it's like everything happens in slow motion.

Cris watches as the nameless man stops what he's doing and bends down, picking up a ring that Cris recognizes all too well, even from where he's standing. Cris almost can't believe his luck.

"DON'T YOU DARE, OLD MAN!" Cris yells and startles the person, who looks up at Cris curiously.

"THAT'S MINE," He yells again and rushes through the living room - where Leo is still sleeping - out the front door and down the stairs towards the backyard. His phone is still in his hand and Cris isn't sure if his mother's on line or not but for these few seconds he doesn't care.

He rushes down the stairs three steps at a time and has a sense of déjà vu when he nearly falls but he doesn't stop.

At least now he could finally give Leo the ring she deserved. The ring that he had specifically chosen for her.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like the end is a little rushed but that's only because I DON'T NORMALLY WRITE FLUFFY/ ROMANTIC SHIT!!! I'm more comfortable with writing angst and stuff but I feel like this was a pleasant change and If it's not too good, I hope you'll forgive me.
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT: (To those who'll notice anyway) I've changed the whole Tiffany's thing. I guess the fic makes more sense that way.


End file.
